Posts Tagged ‘Microsoft’

Cloud computing and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) are inarguably two of the hottest trends in high tech today. These enabling technologies increase productivity but they also present corporations and consumers with significant security, privacy and manageability challenges.

A new software service from nCrypted Cloud, a Boston-based startup, secures and encrypts cloud-based data in a straightforward, easy-to-use and affordable manner.

nCrypted Cloud encrypts data from recognized cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive and Microsoft’s SkyDrive. nCrypted Cloud comes in three versions: a basic Consumer version which is free; a Consumer Pro version and an Enterprise edition aimed at corporate users.

ITIC’s WIndows 8 Survey Data shows that companies and the industry at large is taking a “wait and see” attitude towards the Windows 8 Surface Tablet which Microsoft formally unveils this week.

Reviews so far have been mixed but there’s no doubt that this is Microsoft’s attempt to beat Apple at its own game in the tablet market AND one-up the iPad maker by delivering a tablet-like device that also has the power of a full-blown computer.

Hence, the mood is more cautious with respect to the Windows 8 RT Surface Tablet. This is Microsoft’s first foray into the tablet arena which is dominated by Apple’s iPad with 68% marketshare. Just over one third – 34% — of the over 500 ITIC survey respondents said their Windows 7 desktops were fine; another 24% indicated they’re already using the Apple iPad and are satisfied with its performance; 18% said other device purchases take priority and 16% said they were waiting to see how the Windows 8 Surface Tablet is priced. Ironically, only nine percent of survey participants said the Touch screen factored into their decision not to purchase the Windows 8 Surface Tablet. Interestingly, only 12% of survey participants said they would pass on the Windows 8 Surface Tablet because they’re already using an Android-based tablet.

Let’s be blunt: the biggest issue with Windows 8 is not the much-maligned Metro touch interface; it’s that 60% majority of corporations say they have “no compelling business need” to upgrade to the latest Microsoft desktop or the Windows 8 RT Surface Tablet which debut this week.

Those are the findings of ITIC’s latest independent ITIC Windows 8 Deployment and Usage Trends Survey which polled over 500 organizations during September.

The Web-based survey found that only 10% of respondents – or one-in-10 companies – have definitive plans to migrate to Windows 8 once it’s released on October 26. That’s in stark contrast to the 64% of the respondents to ITIC’s Windows 7 poll who stated their intentions to migrate to Windows 7 just Microsoft released that operating system in the fall of 2009.

Similarly, only 9% of those polled currently plan to purchase a Windows 8 Surface Tablet compared with 49% who say they will not buy the forthcoming Windows 8 Surface Tablet.